Whatever You Say
by Goddess Evangeline
Summary: What do you do when the people closest to you aren't their when you need them the most?
1. The Beginning of the End

It was about six o'clock when InuYasha walked out of the house. Miroku had offered another lord an exorcism in exchange for allowing them to stay the night in his mansion. Personally, InuYasha much preferred to be outside when he slept. Years of conditioning he supposed. Whatever it was, he didn't want to be in his room anymore. It was still early and he wanted to explore the area, if only to find a place close by to sleep; anything that wasn't the bed roll.

"InuYasha," Miroku called, curiously. "Where in the world are you going?"

"Nowhere, just wondering around. I was…feeling a little claustrophobic in my room; couldn't understand why we're all separated, so I came out to walk around, stretch my legs and such." InuYasha replied, cautiously. For some reason, he didn't really feel like he could trust Miroku, lately, or any of his other friends for that matter; something was telling him to be cautious around them, to step lightly. He had learned from experience that when that sense started talking, he had better listen.

"Well, alright," Miroku said, slowly. "Just make sure you come back before Kagome wakes up or it will be your hide."

InuYasha rolled his eyes. "Of course it will." He said listlessly. Then he said under his voice, "It usually is."

Miroku cocked his head to the side. "What did you say?"

"Nothing, I was just muttering to myself; don't worry about it, Miroku."

"Okay…" Miroku replied, unsure. "InuYasha…if you want to talk…I'm always here."

"Yeah…yeah, okay."

He walked out into the patio, closing the door behind him slowly. It had been like this for a while; a light exchange with Miroku telling him that if he needed someone to talk to he was there, and that voice inside his head telling him that despite his words the minute InuYasha said something that Miroku disagreed with or found questionable on his part, he would run straight to Kagome first chance he got. He got this idea, he decided, from constant action in the similar. Any time InuYasha confided in Miroku, the entire group knew about the exchange the next night and if InuYasha didn't change his point of view to match theirs…it was his hide. He sighed sadly. Would there really be no one he could turn to in his times of despair? Would he truly be all alone in his resolute moments of weakness?

This thought made him angry. Was he just their guard dog; a pet they could torment when it suited them?! He sighed…of course he was…he always would be. _'When will I learn?'_ He sat in the orchard with his back leaning against a tree. _'Will I ever?'_ He gazed up at the stars. They seemed to twinkle with joy, glow with mirth…mirth that he, himself had never experienced; could never share in.

'_Such is the way of the world,'_ he told himself, watching the stars in their play. _'I am a half-breed, I am not supposed to have friends, I am not supposed to be happy or even content in my life on this earth…I was not supposed to live. What drives me to continue on my journey through life? What fuels this fire for continuance that I allow myself to suffer at the hands of those who would lie to my face and call themselves my friends; those beings who accept my protection and reverence without a thought to who I am or what I know about myself and others? What is this that tears at my soul?'_

He sighed. "I am over thinking."

"Or perhaps, you are not thinking hard enough, little brother."

InuYasha turned towards the voice of his elder brother, Sesshomaru, with a light frown on his face. He hadn't expected his brother to visit him in a human palace. They didn't usually meet until InuYasha was back outside human territory, or whenever he was in the village. Something must be wrong.

"Why are you here, Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru stepped out of the shadows, joining InuYasha in the moonlight. "I wanted to see you," was all he said.

"Why? It's not like you don't see me every other day." He sighed. "I will never understand you, Sesshomaru. You tell people that I am nothing but a worthless half-breed you tell me that I am nothing but a worthless half-breed, but you insist upon taking time out of your nights, the only time that I have to myself, to seek me out and tell me how much you miss me and how you want me back home. You are a walking contradiction, Nii-chan."

"Who's to say that such a thing is a negative attribute?" Sesshomaru remarked, casually stepping towards his younger brother, allowing the silk of his robes to caress the fair skin with a soft brush to his hands.

InuYasha sighed. "You'll have to give me peace eventually."

"I reiterate my previous question: who's to say?" Sesshomaru leaned in to breathe the words into the younger's ear, pleased at the twitch he received in response to his treatment of the appendage. "Honestly, InuYasha, what would you do to stop me from pursuing you? You, who are so starved for affection of any kind, you would accept falseness from human's who know of nothing else but deception."

InuYasha rebuffed his advance and moved away, folding his arms in a defensive posture. "Stop it, Sesshomaru. You're no better then they are, always stalking me in the middle of the night, demanding things of my person and giving nothing in return for the things you take. Can you truly say you love me more than them?"

"I never claimed to love you, InuYasha. I only claim you, as is my right as your elder brother, and lord."

"This is my point exactly. You use me just the same as they do, all the while telling yourself that it is within your rights to do so. The only difference is that they convince themselves that they love me and therefore do what's best for me, where as you give no legitimate reason to 'claim me,' except to hide behind your title like a child hiding beneath his mother's skirts."

"How dare you compare me to them, InuYasha? How dare you, you who I have given pleasure to every moment of every night since the time you were old enough to accept it?"

"You have given me just as much pain, if not more so!" InuYasha accused. "And believe me, Sesshomaru you take much more then you give. Who are you to question my daring, when you seem to have no quarrel comparing me to dirt and filth, while in the same instance, claiming reverence for a body that was never truly yours to take, yet you demand so insistently that anyone who did not know the truth of it would think otherwise? I know who I am to question you, as my questions are just and righteous, but who are _**you**_, Sesshomaru, other than a selfish, lying, self contradicting, son of a bitch? Who are you, Sesshomaru, and what do you want from me!?"

Sesshomaru fumed at his brother, moments away from striking him when he spotted a shimmer upon the horizon. "It seems that the sun has chosen to save you this night, little brother, but know this, you will not be so lucky during the next." With that, he vanished into what few shadows remained in the slowly brightening forest.

InuYasha heaved a deep sigh, releasing a lungful of air he hadn't realized he had been holding. He turned to gaze at the sun as it crested over the line of earth that seemed to cradle her while still in her delicate state. "Thank you." He said, rising to walk back towards the village and into the headman's house. _It has been a __**long**__ night. _He chuckled to himself as he stepped into the room designated as his own. Unfortunately, he found too late that he was not alone.

"InuYasha," a shrill voice cried at what he was sure was the top of her lungs. "Where have you been? Miroku said you had left for a walk. Who did you go to see?"

_It's going to be a long day too, apparently. _"Kagome, I didn't go to see anybody, I just went out for a walk. Who could I have possibly seen walking around here?"

Kagome narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Oh, I don't know; a spirit perhaps, or maybe an old girlfriend you've been **_dying_** to spend time with?"

He rolled his eyes. He had never understood why Kagome was so jealous of Kikyo. He obviously didn't want to be with her anymore…didn't want to be with Kagome either, but he needed her to find the jewel shards, so they were stuck together. "I didn't see Kikyo, Kagome."

"Ha! So you admit that you want to see her!" Kagome pointed accusingly, smiling with pride she obviously didn't deserve to possess. "What did you talk about? Did you promise to go to hell with her? Or maybe you promised to leave me and join forces with her and Naraku so that you could get your hands on the Shikon Jewel? I always knew you would betray us… I just didn't think it would be so soon."

InuYasha shook his head and snorted lightly in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about, Kagome? I just told you I didn't see Kikyo."

Kagome blinked rapidly in realization. "Oh…" She perked up immediately. "Well, alright then. Breakfast should be ready soon and then we can pack our things and start our journey again."

InuYasha nodded, slowly. "Alright, Kagome, I'll see you after breakfast."

Kagome smiled and left the room, leaving InuYasha alone in the empty space. InuYasha would never understand that girl's crazy mood swings. But then…Miroku had said the same thing about Sango…so maybe that was normal behavior for a young human woman. Thank the Gods Demon women were _nothing _like that.

He walked over to the wall that he had propped his sword upon and noticed a small chest sitting on the other end of the room. Sliding his sword into his obi, he walked over to the chest and examined the outside. It looked as though it were made of a fine wood, carved in an elegant pattern were vines and flowers painted in a dark red, almost blending in to the stain of the wood. The latch was gold pounded thin and cut in a sea shell shape. The straps that held the lid in place were soft, distressed leather, coming away from the chest easily, as though they had waited for him to open it. He lifted the latch and opened the lid. The chest was empty, save for a single white kimono made of fine silk and studded on the shoulders with gold thread stitched in a dragon silhouette that stretched from his shoulder, across the back, and on to the hip. A gold obi accompanied the outfit, as did a gold hair piece studded on the end with a fairly large ruby; it was about the size of his thumb-nail.

Who had left this here? He looked around the room for signs that anyone had come in. Where had this thing come from? Had Sesshomaru left him this? He pondered for a moment whether or not he should actually wear the outfit, or throw it back into the chest and ignore its existence entirely. He choose the former and placed the garment back into the chest, shutting the lid and returning it to its previous state, that which it had been before he had laid a hand on it.

He turned away towards the door, only to see it was obstructed by a large, rock-like object. He stepped towards it and examined its surface only to find that it was a boulder…and not just a rock. He looked around, perplexed, stretching his senses to detect the intruder in his midst. Sensing no one he pondered his current predicament. Who the hell could have put this thing in his door-way? Looking to the floor he noticed a clean white piece of parchment that had not been there before. Reaching down to pick it up he noticed that it had calligraphy written on the back of it. Turning it over, he read the inscribed writing. It said:

**Wear It**

He rolled his eyes. This had Sesshomaru's name written all over it. He looked around and yelled, "I'm not putting it on," loud enough for anyone who had been outside to hear him. A deep sigh from behind him was his reply. He turned sharply to see a tall, fair skin man, with burgundy hair and emerald eyes, looking back at him with disappointment.

"I had really hoped you wouldn't make this difficult." He said, looking InuYasha up and down in a manner that made him slightly uncomfortable. "Why won't you just put it on? I'm sure you'll like the way you look in it."

"I don't…I…what…wha...?" seemed to be the only response that InuYasha could articulate in his shock at the appearance of the stranger. That was _definitely_ not Sesshomaru. "Who the hell are you?"

The stranger shook his head and sighed softly. "That doesn't matter right now, what matters is that you do as I say and put that outfit on, after that we can stroll the gardens and I will tell anything you want to know."

"But first I have to put this on?"

"…Quite right."

InuYasha looked derisively at the garment before he moved to comply. "Fine, but you have to turn around and give me some privacy."

The stranger quirked his brow. "Why?" He asked, making no move to turn, seemingly intent upon viewing InuYasha while he changed.

"Because I asked you to." InuYasha snarked in response, turning to glare at the man forcing him to way the too-fine-for-his-tastes clothing, "and because I won't change if you don't"

"If you don't change, you'll never leave this room."

"You want to bet?"

"I most certainly do."

InuYasha pondered that response for a moment. "So…you really think you can keep me here?"

The red-haired man shook his head. "Not at all…I **_know_** I can keep you here."

"Hmmm…You seem pretty sure of yourself."

"Indeed I am."

"So then I guess it would be quite a disappointment if I were to, say, escape from here?"

"If such a thing were possible, yes, I suppose it would be a disappointment."

"Interesting, interesting, than I guess you should prepare to be disappointed." With that, InuYasha disappeared, only to reappear behind the man and attempt to dislodge the large blockage at the door, only to be met with failure.

"As I said previously," the stranger said, smugly. "You cannot leave, unless I permit it."

InuYasha huffed in disappointment. Where was Kagome? Miroku, Sango? Where were his friends when he needed them? He turned toward his captor. What exactly was it that his man wanted? Was he simply trying to anger InuYasha? Or was it something else? He leaned against the boulder, pondering his current predicament. How was he going to escape from here if he couldn't move this damn rock? He sighed, dejectedly. He would just have to consent to wearing the clothes.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When InuYasha finished dressing, he stepped out from the screen to present himself to the stranger that awaited him on the other side.

"You're perfect," the stranger said the moment he saw the young half-breed in the silken kimono. "Though I must say I had not imagined your hair would be so unkempt. My master usually chooses such clean creatures, but no matter. I am sure he will be pleased with you."

InuYasha frowned. "Who is this master of yours anyway? And for that matter, who are you, and why the hell did I have to change into these damn clothes?"

"Watch you language, young lord, my master will not be pleased if he hears such a lovely creature speaking so coarsely." The stranger touched the stone that blocked the entrance to the room in which he slept, somehow causing it to disintegrate. "As for who I am, I am merely a servant to a great master; perhaps greater, even, than your lord brother…greater than your lord father, in my opinion at least. My master, however, would be quite upset if I introduced his name to you, as he was quite excited to meet you in person.

I understand that you have questions, young one, and I have no doubt that they cause great fear within you, but never you worry. Take heart in the knowledge that all will be revealed to you in good time. Be patient, young lord, and make haste. The sooner we depart, the sooner we shall arrive at our destination, and all your questions will be answered."

As he stepped out of the room, InuYasha couldn't help the shiver of fear crawling up his spine. His instincts were telling him to flee; that the path he was about to walk was a dangerous one, and that this man was not to be trusted. The way he saw it, he had two options, the first of which was to return to his group and find sanctuary there. The downside to doing this, however, was that they would question him; his attire, his behavior, everything would be under intense scrutiny…that, and he could trust not a single one of them. '_Devils everywhere I look._' He thought to himself shaking his head.

His second option, of course, was no better in his mind. He could follow a stranger, that had locked him in a room and forced him to change his clothes (which really wasn't that bad all things considered), wherever he was leading him, and accept whatever fate that lie waiting for him.

In other words, he had to choose whom he thought was worse: the devils he knew, or the ones he didn't.

"Are you coming, master InuYasha?"

The time to choose was now. InuYasha nodded his head, steeled himself, and chose the devils he didn't…know, that is. He stepped in the path of this 'servant of a greater master' and followed him into the forest, towards whatever fate awaited him on the other side of the tree line.

A few hours, and quite a few steps, later InuYasha cleared his throat, breaking the long silence and gained the attention of the taller man in front of him.

"So …what am I supposed to call you?" He asked abruptly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"What is your name?"

"Oh, well most people call me Dorei."

"…People call you 'slave'? Your parents had a pretty sick sense of humor…what did you do to piss them off?"

"Nonsense, my lord, after all, your parents called you 'dog demon,' did they not?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"In any case, I was always meant to serve my master, from the day I was born to the very moment that I am dead." Dorei smiled at him. "I must admit, of all my masters chosen, I like you the best. I do hope he chooses to keep you. Gods forbid he waste such a creature as you young lord."

This peeked InuYasha's interest. "What will happen to me…if he doesn't want me?"

Dorei frowned. "Perhaps it is best if we chose to cross that bridge when and _if_ we get to it."

"Best, maybe, for you," InuYasha replied. "But it could very well end badly for me. Plus, its quite possible I shouldn't like to cross that bridge at all."

"I see your point," Dorei nodded, "Well, most of the lovelies my master chooses do not pass initial meeting, they are sent to a whorehouse to be taken by various men. Those that do pass, however, are courted by my master; if they take too quickly to the courting or deliberately play hard to get…he puts them to death. Such shallow things he usually picks, but _**you**_, you seem so perfect, I do hope he likes you."

"Apparently, so do I…" InuYasha laughed nervously to himself. _'So, death or a whorehouse…Not much of a choice, huh?'_ He laughed, as the tress seemed to whisper back, tickling his face with his hair, as it danced in the breeze they seemed to create solely for him. _'I suppose you agree? Glad we're on the same page.'_

He smiled to himself as he and Dorei continued their trek in blissful silence.


	3. Chapter 3

Inside the Master's Study

As the sky grew darker a lone figure could be seen sitting silently amongst a large number of whispering books. Long had it been since a single one had been read, and yet their master sat still, as if waiting for someone to arrive. The figure rose from his seat and began to pace before a large fire, bathing him in warm light.

"Where on earth could they possibly be?" He wondered aloud, checking the clock and sighing to himself, exasperated.

He stepped away from the fire towards a window, running his hands along an old piano as he passed. Oh, for the days the keys would sing their notes as their ivory brilliance was stroked with skilled hands in a sensual and familiar caress. Alas, they too had remained ever silent for too long, cold and lonely with no skilled hands to help them sing their sad and lonely tune. Perhaps, very soon, their notes would again ring through the vast halls of the estate. For now, though, they must remain silent; they must wait, as their master does, for the one that would restore their natural and harmonious beauty.

_How long could it take to travel here from the southern shore?_ He huffed displeased with their lack of progress, and continued to wait, praying that Dorei would, at last had found the one that would make him whole once more…


End file.
